


High Art

by Churbooseanon



Series: Guns For Hire [14]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Guns For Hire AU, Mercenaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Churbooseanon/pseuds/Churbooseanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Intimidation was an art form that few people seem to properly understand. Yes, on some innate level there was a basic understanding of the form, the function, the purpose of such an art form. But the problem, to some degree, was the fact that much like those who claimed to practice one of the various forms of art, there were so many amateurs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Art

**Author's Note:**

> Starlight challenge prompt for January 19th: He watched from behind the desk as his visitor squirmed. The chairs were intentionally uncomfortable.

Intimidation was an art form that few people seem to properly understand. Yes, on some innate level there was a basic understanding of the form, the function, the purpose of such an art form. But the problem, to some degree, was the fact that much like those who claimed to practice one of the various forms of art, there were so many amateurs. 

Those brutes who practiced intimidation through violence were no better than children with finger paints. No, they were worse than that. Children at least had creative vision, and to some degree, an understanding of color theory. Those who used force were nothing more than colorblind children with no hand-eye coordination. They put their faith in fists and their size and word of mouth. 

Malcolm Hargrove, on the other hand, was as much an connoisseur of the art of intimidation as he was of the other fine arts. He had spent many years studying proper execution and understood that it was, with proper preparation and careful execution, there were other things far more effective in intimidation than outright force. For instance, implication of violence was more effective than actual violence. People would assume the worst. In fact, violence itself was less effective than the implication added to a list of rather innocuous items. The human imagination was quite extensive, and they would come up with more terrible things that can be done to them with, say, a potato, a corkscrew and a pair of shoelaces than Hargrove himself could ever devise for them.

No, intimidation was an art form, one that he had long since mastered to at least the level necessary for his work. 

For instance, there was the way he presented himself. His clothing was always immaculate, expensive, well fitted, and yet somber. On a world where flashy and extravagant rule, much more was implied with understated dress than with typical showy fashions. A soft, three-piece gray suit with faint pin-striping and a a simple navy tie—all of it of the highest quality materials of course—said that he didn't need to worry about presentation. That he was wealthy enough, assured enough, capable enough to not have to care what other people thought. 

But it went further than that, of course. Intimidation was more than within the person that had power over the one being intimidated. Power, presence, his distance and disdain was only the cherry on top of the presentation. The true effectiveness came from the whole situation. The placement of his office on the top floor of a secure tower that could only be reached from the lowest levels of Charon but had expansive windows that looked out over the waste land and allowed one full view of plague clouds said he cared not for the threat of nature, while at the same time reinforcing that he was above those around him, and having the privilege of being before him was not easy to possess. The careful arrangement of his simple yet elegant and functional office furniture said he had more than enough money to enjoy the finer things in life—a point reinforced by the expensive art hung along stretches of wall space that weren't covered with floor to ceiling bullet and cloud proof windows—but preferred to have what was simple. The uncomfortable nature of the chairs across from his desk when compared to the couches in the room spoke volumes about the fact that he was to be the only one comfortable in any given situation, and that being in his presence was likely a less than positive situation, for all the trappings of power. 

The wealth, the décor, the careful calculations had often left the men seated across from him squirming uncomfortably. Which was, of course, the point. A person put off balance and placed in the situations that he placed them tended to be intimidated. They may not even realize it. But they yielded to him more readily than they would in another situation. 

Except, he supposed, for these two men. They sat across from him and both seemed to have managed to make themselves comfortable across from him. That alone was a feat to be impressed by. Of course, at the same time it frustrated him, because the means by which one of them managed it was by was putting his feet up on the edge of Hargrove's desk. The only weapon he had against that was to reserve disdainful looks for that mercenary while being respectful to the other. The other only seemed still in his seat because, well, Hargrove hadn't seen him move more than absolutely necessary. 

“So... nice place you got here.”

Hargrove had to bite his lip to keep from glaring at the orange and gray clad mercenary as the man played with his knife. It was such a crude intimidation technique, especially when it was quite clear that his partner would allow no violence to befall in this room, not unless Hargrove screwed them over. 

“Indeed, but that is not what we're here to discuss, gentlemen.”

“Gentlemen?” the man, Felix asked, laughing. “Woah, did you call us that?”

“Felix,” the other man, Locus, answered, voice cold and hard. A better affect was achieved by that than any amount of toying with a knife, but Hargrove kept himself impassive. 

“I have been told that you two are among the best agents Control has to offer...”

In fact, he was certain of it. He had reviewed all of the files related to them, and knew the only mercenary Control had managed that was better than them was part of the problem. 

“Of course we are. Otherwise we wouldn't be sent to meet someone like you.”

Indeed. 

“Let's cut straight to the point seeing as we know you can afford us... What's the job.”

Well, if the setting didn't intimidate them, at least it spoke enough to the business nature of intimidating men like these that when he slid the folder across the desk and Felix opened it, neither of them laughed.  


If nothing else, they knew he meant business.


End file.
